Power and data communication arrangement between panels

ABSTRACT

A display includes two hundred and eighty-six panel displays arranged in rows and columns. The panel displays have a set of main panels and a set of slave panels, and include bi-directional input/output connection point for data communications between the main panel and the slave panel. The rows are divided into a top section and a bottom section, with the top section having seven rows and the bottom section having six rows. A fourth row of the top section and a fourth row of the bottom section have panels from the set of main panels, and the other rows in the top section and the bottom section have panels from the set of slave panels. The fourth row of the top section and the fourth row of the bottom section are coupled to a data line. Each row is coupled to a power supply through a corresponding breaker.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/328,624filed on Jul. 10, 2014, which application claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/922,631, filed on Dec. 31, 2013, whichapplications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to power and data communicationarrangement, and, in particular embodiments, power and datacommunication arrangement between panels.

BACKGROUND

Large displays (e.g., billboards), such as those commonly used foradvertising in cities and along roads, generally have one or morepictures and/or text that are to be displayed under various light andweather conditions. As technology has advanced and introduced newlighting devices such as the light emitting diode (LED), such advanceshave been applied to large displays. An LED display is a flat paneldisplay, which uses an array of light-emitting diodes. A large displaymay be made of a single LED display or a panel of smaller LED panels.LED panels may be conventional panels made using discrete LEDs orsurface-mounted device (SMD) panels. Most outdoor screens and someindoor screens are built around discrete LEDs, which are also known asindividually mounted LEDs. A cluster of red, green, and blue diodes isdriven together to form a full-color pixel, usually square in shape.These pixels are spaced evenly apart and are measured from center tocenter for absolute pixel resolution. At the time of filing thisapplication, one of the largest LED display in the world is over 500meters long and is located in Fremont Street, Las Vegas.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention relate to lighting systems and, moreparticularly, to multi-panel lighting systems for providing interior orexterior displays.

In one embodiment, a modular multi-panel display comprises a framecomprising a plurality of vertical members and a plurality of couplingmechanisms. A plurality of lighting panels is removably coupled directlyto the frame using the coupling mechanisms. Each lighting panel ismechanically coupled to one of the vertical and three other lightingpanels by a one of the coupling mechanisms. A controller provides datato the plurality of lighting modules.

In a one particular embodiment, each lighting panel comprises a housingand a plurality of lighting elements positioned within the housing toform a display surface. Circuitry is positioned within the housing tocontrol the plurality of lighting elements and a power supply ispositioned within the housing and coupled to the plurality of lightingelements and the circuitry. An input data connection point is coupled toa data output of an upstream one of the lighting panels and/or an outputdata connection point is coupled to a data input of a downstream one ofthe lighting panels. An input power connection point is coupled to apower output of the upstream one of the lighting panels and/or an outputpower connection point is coupled to a power input of the downstream oneof the lighting panels. The housing includes four attachment points bywhich the lighting panel is coupled to the frame. Each attachment pointlocated in a corner region of the lighting panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding, reference is now made to thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate one embodiment of a display that may beprovided according to the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate one embodiment of a lighting panel that may beused with the display of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIGS. 3A-3I illustrate one embodiment of a housing and an alignmentplate that may be used with the panel of FIG. 2A;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a more detailed embodiment of the panel ofFIG. 2A;

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the panel of FIG. 4A;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a more detailed embodiment of the panel ofFIG. 2A;

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the panel of FIG. 6A;

FIGS. 8A-8M illustrate one embodiment of a frame that may be used withthe display of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate one embodiment of a locking mechanism that may beused with the display of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIGS. 10A-10D illustrate one embodiment of a display configuration;

FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate another embodiment of a display configuration;and

FIGS. 12A-12D illustrate yet another embodiment of a displayconfiguration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

In the following discussion, exterior displays are used herein forpurposes of example. It is understood that the present disclosure may beapplied to lighting for any type of interior and/or exterior display.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, one embodiment of a multi-panel display100 is illustrated. The display 100 includes a display surface 102 thatis formed by multiple lighting panels 104 a-104 t. In the presentembodiment, the panels 104 a-104 t use light emitting diodes (LEDs) forillumination, but it is understood that other light sources may be usedin other embodiments. The panels 104 a-104 t typically operate togetherto form a single image, although multiple images may be simultaneouslypresented by the display 100. In the present example, the panels 104a-104 t are individually attached to a frame 106, which enables eachpanel to be installed or removed from the frame 106 without affectingthe other panels.

Each panel 104 a-104 t is a self-contained unit that couples directly tothe frame 106. By “directly,” it is understood that another component orcomponents may be positioned between the panel 104 a-104 t and the frame106, but the panel is not placed inside a cabinet that is coupled to theframe 106. For example, an alignment plate (described later but notshown in the present figure) may be coupled to a panel and/or the frame106 to aid in aligning a panel with other panels. The panel may then becoupled to the frame 106 or the alignment plate, and either couplingapproach would be “direct” according to the present disclosure.

Two or more panels 104 a-104 t can be coupled for power and/or datapurposes, with a panel 104 a-104 t receiving power and/or data from acentral source or another panel and passing through at least some of thepower and/or data to one or more other panels. This further improves themodular aspect of the display 100, as a single panel 104 a-104 t can beeasily connected to the display 100 when being installed and easilydisconnected when being removed by decoupling the power and dataconnections from neighboring panels.

The power and data connections for the panels 104 a-104 t may beconfigured using one or more layouts, such as a ring, mesh, star, bus,tree, line, or fully-connected layout, or a combination thereof. In someembodiments the LED panels 104 a-104 t may be in a single network, whilein other embodiments the LED panels 104 a-104 t may be divided intomultiple networks. Power and data may be distributed using identical ordifferent layouts. For example, power may be distributed in a linelayout, while data may use a combination of line and star layouts.

The frame 106 may be relatively light in weight compared to framesneeded to support cabinet mounted LED assemblies. In the presentexample, the frame 106 includes only a top horizontal member 108, abottom horizontal member no, a left vertical member 112, a rightvertical member 114, and intermediate vertical members 116. Power cablesand data cables (not shown) for the panels 104 a-104 t may route aroundand/or through the frame 106.

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C, one embodiment of an LED panel 200 isillustrated that may be used as one of the LED panels 104 a-104 t ofFIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. 2A illustrates a front view of the panel 200 withLEDs aligned in a 16×32 configuration. FIG. 2B illustrates a diagram ofinternal components within the panel 200. FIG. 2C illustrates onepossible configuration of a power supply positioned within the panel 200relative to a back plate of the panel 200.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2A, in the present example, the LED panel200 includes a substrate 202 that forms a front surface of the panel200. The substrate 202 in the present embodiment is rectangular inshape, with a top edge 204, a bottom edge 206, a right edge 208, and aleft edge 210. A substrate surface 212 includes “pixels” 214 that areformed by one or more LEDs 216 on or within the substrate 202. In thepresent example, each pixel 214 includes four LEDs 216 arranged in apattern (e.g., a square). For example, the four LEDs 216 that form apixel 214 may include a red LED, a green LED, a blue LED, and one otherLED (e.g., a white LED). In some embodiments, the other LED may be asensor. It is understood that more or fewer LEDs 216 may be used to forma single pixel 214, and the use of four LEDs 216 and their relativepositioning as a square is for purposes of illustration only.

In some embodiments, the substrate 202 may form the entire front surfaceof the panel 200, with no other part of the panel 200 being visible fromthe front when the substrate 202 is in place. In other embodiments, ahousing 220 (FIG. 2B) may be partially visible at one or more of theedges of the substrate 202. The substrate 202 may form the front surfaceof the panel 202, but may not be the outer surface in some embodiments.For example, a transparent or translucent material or coating mayoverlay the substrate 202 and the LEDs 216, thereby being positionedbetween the substrate 202/LEDs 216 and the environment.

Louvers 218 may be positioned above each row of pixels 214 to block orminimize light from directly striking the LEDs 216 from certain angles.For example, the louvers 218 may be configured to extend from thesubstrate 202 to a particular distance and/or at a particular angleneeded to completely shade each pixel 214 when a light source (e.g., thesun) is at a certain position (e.g., ten degrees off vertical). In thepresent example, the louvers 208 extend the entire length of thesubstrate 202, but it is understood that other louver configurations maybe used.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2B, one embodiment of the panel 200illustrates a housing 220. The housing 220 contains circuitry 222 and apower supply 224. The circuitry 222 is coupled to the LEDs 216 and isused to control the LEDs. The power supply 224 provides power to theLEDs 216 and circuitry 222. As will be described later in greater detailwith respect to two embodiments of the panel 200, data and/or power maybe received for only the panel 200 or may be passed on to one or moreother panels as well. Accordingly, the circuitry 222 and/or power supply224 may be configured to pass data and/or power to other panels in someembodiments.

In the present example, the housing 220 is sealed to prevent water fromentering the housing. For example, the housing 220 may be sealed to havean ingress protection (IP) rating such as IP67, which defines a level ofprotection against both solid particles and liquid. This ensures thatthe panel 200 can be mounted in inclement weather situations withoutbeing adversely affected. In such embodiments, the cooling is passive asthere are no vent openings for air intakes or exhausts.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2C, one embodiment of the panel 200illustrates how the power supply 224 may be thermally coupled to thehousing 220 via a thermally conductive material 226 (e.g., aluminum).This configuration may be particularly relevant in embodiments where thepanel 200 is sealed and cooling is passive.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3I, one embodiment of a housing 300 is illustratedthat may be used with one of the LED panels 104 a-104 t of FIGS. 1A and1B. For example, the housing 300 may be a more specific example of thehousing 220 of FIG. 2B. In FIGS. 3B-3I, the housing 300 is shown with analignment plate, which may be separate from the housing 300 or formed aspart of the housing 300. In the present example, the housing 300 may bemade of a thermally conductive material (e.g., aluminum) that isrelatively light weight and rigid.

As shown in the orthogonal view of FIG. 3A, the housing 300 defines acavity 302. Structural cross-members 304 and 306 may be used to providesupport to a substrate (e.g., the substrate 202 of FIG. 2A) (not shown).The cross-members 304 and 306, as well as other areas of the housing300, may include supports 308 against which the substrate can rest whenplaced into position. As shown, the supports 308 may include arelatively narrow tip section that can be inserted into a receiving holein the back of the substrate and then a wider section against which thesubstrate can rest.

The housing 300 may also include multiple extensions 310 (e.g., sleeves)that provide screw holes or locations for captive screws that can beused to couple the substrate to the housing 300. Other extensions 312may be configured to receive pins or other protrusions from a lockingplate and/or fasteners, which will be described later in greater detail.Some or all of the extensions 312 may be accessible only from the rearside of the housing 300 and so are not shown as openings in FIG. 3A.

As shown in FIG. 3B, an alignment plate 314 may be used with the housing300. The alignment plate 314 aids in aligning multiple panels on theframe 106 to ensure that the resulting display surface has correctlyaligned pixels both horizontally and vertically. To accomplish this, thealignment plate 314 includes tabs 316 and slots 318 (FIG. 3F). Each tab316 fits into the slot 318 of an adjoining alignment plate (if present)and each slot 318 receives a tab from an adjoining alignment plate (ifpresent). This provides an interlocking series of alignment plates. Aseach alignment plate 314 is coupled to or part of a housing 300, thisresults in correctly aligning the panels on the frame 106.

It is understood that, in some embodiments, the alignment plate 314 maybe formed as part of the panel or the alignment functionality providedby the alignment plate 314 may be achieved in other ways. In still otherembodiments, a single alignment panel 314 may be formed to receivemultiple panels, rather than a single panel as shown in FIG. 3B.

As shown in FIG. 3C, the housing 300 may include beveled or otherwisenon-squared edges 320. This shaping of the edges enables panels to bepositioned in a curved display without having large gaps appear as wouldoccur if the edges were squared.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, one embodiment of a panel 400 isillustrated that may be similar or identical to one of the LED panels104 a-104 t of FIGS. 1A and 1B. The panel 400 may be based on a housing401 that is similar or identical to the housing 300 of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4Aillustrates a back view of the panel 400 and FIG. 4B illustrates a topview. The panel 400 has a width W and a height H.

In the present example, the back includes a number of connection pointsthat include a “power in” point 402, a “data in” point 404, a main “dataout” point 406, multiple slave data points 408, and a “power out” point410. The power in point 402 enables the panel 400 to receive power froma power source, which may be another panel. The data in point 404enables the panel to receive data from a data source, which may beanother panel. The main data out point 406 enables the panel 400 to senddata to another main panel. The multiple slave data points 408, whichare bi-directional in this example, enable the panel 400 to send data toone or more slave panels and to receive data from those slave panels. Insome embodiments, the main data out point 406 and the slave data outpoints 408 may be combined. The power out point 410 enables the panel400 to send power to another panel.

The connection points may be provided in various ways. For example, inone embodiment, the connection points may be jacks configured to receivecorresponding plugs. In another embodiment, a cable may extend from theback panel with a connector (e.g., a jack or plug) affixed to theexternal end of the cable to provide an interface for another connector.It is understood that the connection points may be positioned andorganized in many different ways.

Inside the panel, the power in point 402 and power out point 410 may becoupled to circuitry (not shown) as well as to a power supply. Forexample, the power in point 402 and power out point 410 may be coupledto the circuitry 222 of FIG. 2B, as well as to the power supply 224. Insuch embodiments, the circuitry 222 may aid in regulating the receptionand transmission of power. In other embodiments, the power in point 402and power out point 410 may by coupled only to the power supply 224 witha pass through power connection allowing some of the received power tobe passed from the power in point 402 to the power out point 410.

The data in point 404, main data out point 406, and slave data outpanels 408 may be coupled to the circuitry 222. The circuitry 222 mayaid in regulating the reception and transmission of the data. In someembodiments, the circuitry 222 may identify data used for the panel 400and also send all data on to other coupled main and slave panels via themain data out point 406 and slave data out points 408, respectively. Insuch embodiments, the other main and slave panels would then identifythe information relevant to that particular panel from the data. Inother embodiments, the circuitry 222 may remove the data needed for thepanel 400 and selectively send data on to other coupled main and slavepanels via the main data out point 406 and slave data out points 408,respectively. For example, the circuitry 222 may send only datacorresponding to a particular slave panel to that slave panel ratherthan sending all data and letting the slave panel identify thecorresponding data.

The back panel also has coupling points 412 and 414. In the examplewhere the housing is supplied by the housing 300 of FIG. 3A, thecoupling points 412 and 414 may correspond to extensions 310 and 312,respectively.

Referring specifically to FIG. 4B, a top view of the panel 400illustrates three sections of the housing 401. The first section 416includes the LEDs (not shown) and louvers 418. The second section 420and third section 422 may be used to house the circuitry 222 and powersupply 224. In the present example, the third section 422 is an extendedsection that may exist on main panels, but not slave panels, due toextra components needed by a main panel to distribute data. Depths D1,D2, and D3 correspond to sections 416, 420, and 422, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 5, one embodiment of a panel 500 is illustrated thatmay be similar or identical to the panel 400 of FIG. 4A with theexception of a change in the slave data points 408. In the embodiment ofFIG. 4A, the slave data points 408 are bi-directional connection points.In the present embodiment, separate slave “data in” points 502 and slave“data out” points 504 are provided.

Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, one embodiment of a panel 600 isillustrated that may be similar or identical to the panel 400 of FIG. 4Aexcept that the panel 600 is a slave panel. FIG. 6A illustrates a backview of the panel 600 and FIG. 6B illustrates a top view. The panel 400has a width W and a height H. In the present embodiment, these areidentical to the width W and height H of the panel 400 of FIG. 4A. Incontrast to the main panel of FIG. 4A, the back of the slave panel 600has a more limited number of connection points that include a “power in”point 602, a data point 604, and a “power out” point 606. The power inpoint 602 enables the panel 600 to receive power from a power source,which may be another panel. The data point 604 enables the panel toreceive data from a data source, which may be another panel. The powerout point 606 enables the panel 600 to send power to another main panel.In the present example, the data point 604 is bi-directional, whichcorresponds to the main panel configuration illustrated in FIG. 4A. Theback panel also has coupling points 608 and 610, which correspond tocoupling points 412 and 414, respectively, of FIG. 4A.

Referring specifically to FIG. 6B, a top view of the panel 600illustrates two sections of the housing 601. The first section 612includes the LEDs (not shown) and louvers 614. The second section 616may be used to house the circuitry 222 and power supply 224. In thepresent example, the extended section provided by the third section 422of FIG. 4A is not needed as the panel 600 does not pass data on to otherpanels. Depths D1 and D2 correspond to sections 612 and 616,respectively. In the present embodiment, depths D1 and D2 are identicalto depths D1 and D2 of the panel 400 of FIG. 4B.

It is noted that the similarity in size of the panels 400 of FIG. 4A andthe panel 600 of FIG. 6A enables the panels to be interchanged asneeded. More specifically, as main panels and slave panels have anidentical footprint in terms of height H, width W, and depth D1, theirposition on the frame 106 of FIGS. 1A and 1B does not matter from a sizestandpoint, but only from a functionality standpoint. Accordingly, thedisplay 100 can be designed as desired using main panels and slavepanels without the need to be concerned with how a particular panel willphysically fit into a position on the frame. The design may then focuson issues such as the required functionality (e.g., whether a main panelis needed or a slave panel is sufficient) for a particular positionand/or other issues such as weight and cost.

In some embodiments, the main panel 400 of FIG. 4A may weigh more thanthe slave panel 600 due to the additional components present in the mainpanel 400. The additional components may also make the main panel 400more expensive to produce than the slave panel 600. Therefore, a displaythat uses as many slave panels as possible while still meeting requiredcriteria will generally cost less and weigh less than a display thatuses more main panels.

Referring to FIG. 7, one embodiment of a panel 700 is illustrated thatmay be similar or identical to the panel 600 of FIG. 6A with theexception of a change in the data point 604. In the embodiment of FIG.6A, the data point 604 is a bi-directional connection. In the presentembodiment, a separate “data out” point 702 and a “data in” point 704are provided, which corresponds to the main panel configurationillustrated in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 8A-8M, embodiments of a frame 800 are illustrated.For example, the frame 800 may provide a more detailed embodiment of theframe 106 of FIG. 1B. As described previously, LED panels, such as thepanels 104 a-104 t of FIGS. 1A and 1B, may be mounted directly to theframe 800. Accordingly, the frame 800 does not need to be designed tosupport heavy cabinets, but need only be able to support the panels 104a-104 t and associated cabling (e.g., power and data cables), and theframe 800 may be lighter than conventional frames that have to supportcabinet based structures. For purposes of example, various referencesmay be made to the panel 200 of FIG. 2A, the housing 300 of FIG. 3A, andthe panel 400 of FIG. 4A.

In the present example, the frame 800 is designed to support LED panels802 in a configuration that is ten panels high and thirty-two panelswide. While the size of the panels 802 may vary, in the currentembodiment this provides a display surface that is approximately fiftyfeet and four inches wide (50′4″) and fifteen feet and eight andthree-quarters inches high (15′8.75″).

It is understood that all measurements and materials described withrespect to FIGS. 8A-8M are for purposes of example only and are notintended to be limiting. Accordingly, many different lengths, heights,thicknesses, and other dimensional and/or material changes may be madeto the embodiments of FIGS. 8A-8M.

Referring specifically to FIG. 8B, a back view of the frame 800 isillustrated. The frame 800 includes a top bar 804, a bottom bar 806, aleft bar 808, a right bar 810, and multiple vertical bars 812 thatconnect the top bar 804 and bottom bar 806. In some embodiments,additional horizontal bars 814 may be present.

The frame 800 may be constructed of various materials, including metals.For example, the top bar 804, the bottom bar 806, the left bar 808, andthe right bar 810 (e.g., the perimeter bars) may be made using a fourinch aluminum association standard channel capable of bearing 1.738lb/ft. The vertical bars 812 may be made using 2″×4″×½″ aluminum tubecapable of bearing a load of 3.23 lb/ft.

It is understood that these sizes and load bearing capacities are forpurposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting. However,conventional steel display frames needed to support conventionalcabinet-based displays are typically much heavier than the frame 800,which would likely not be strong enough to support a traditionalcabinet-based display. For example, the frame 800 combined with thepanels described herein may weigh at least fifty percent less thanequivalent steel cabinet-based displays.

Referring to FIG. 8C, a cutaway view of the frame 800 of FIG. 8B takenalong lines A1-A1 is illustrated. The horizontal bars 810 are moreclearly visible. More detailed views of FIG. 8C are described below.

Referring to FIG. 8D, a more detailed view of the frame 800 of FIG. 8Cat location B1 is illustrated. The cutaway view shows the top bar 804and a vertical bar 812. A first flat bar 816 may be used with multiplefasteners 818 to couple the top bar 804 to the vertical bar 812 at theback of the frame 800. A second flat bar 820 may be used with fasteners821 to couple the top bar 804 to the vertical bar 812 at the front ofthe frame 800. A front plate 902 belonging to a coupling mechanism 900(described below with respect to FIG. 9A) is illustrated. The secondflat bar 820 may replace a back plate of the coupling mechanism 900. Inembodiments where the second flat bar 820 replaces the back plate, thesecond flat bar 820 may include one or more holes to provideaccessibility to fasteners of the coupling mechanism 900.

Referring to FIGS. 8E-8G, various more detailed views of the frame 800of FIG. 8C are illustrated. FIG. 8E provides a more detailed view of theframe 800 of FIG. 8C at location B2. FIG. 8F provides a cutaway view ofthe frame 800 of FIG. 8E taken along lines C1-C1. FIG. 8G provides acutaway view of the frame 800 of FIG. 8E taken along lines C2-C2.

A clip 822 may be coupled to a vertical bar 812 via one or morefasteners 824 and to the horizontal bar 814 via one or more fasteners824. In the present example, the clip 822 is positioned above thehorizontal bar 814, but it is understood that the clip 822 may bepositioned below the horizontal bar 814 in other embodiments. In stillother embodiments, the clip 822 may be placed partially inside thehorizontal bar 814 (e.g., a portion of the clip 822 may be placedthrough a slot or other opening in the horizontal bar 814).

Referring to FIGS. 8H and 8I, various more detailed views of the frame800 of FIG. 8C are illustrated. FIG. 8H provides a more detailed view ofthe frame 800 of FIG. 8C at location B3. FIG. 8I provides a cutaway viewof the frame 800 of FIG. 8H taken along lines D1-D1.

The cutaway view shows the bottom bar 806 and a vertical bar 812. Afirst flat bar 826 may be used with multiple fasteners 828 to couple thebottom bar 806 to the vertical bar 812 at the back of the frame 800. Asecond flat bar 830 may be used with fasteners 832 to couple the bottombar 806 to the vertical bar 812 at the front of the frame 800. A frontplate 902 belonging to a coupling mechanism 900 (described below withrespect to FIG. 9A) is illustrated. The second flat bar 830 may replacea back plate of the coupling mechanism 900. In embodiments where thesecond flat bar 830 replaces the back plate, the second flat bar 830 mayinclude one or more holes to provide accessibility to fasteners of thecoupling mechanism 900.

Referring to FIGS. 8J and 8K, various more detailed views of the frame800 of FIG. 8A are illustrated. FIG. 8H provides a more detailed view ofthe frame 800 of FIG. 8B at location A2. FIG. 8K provides a cutaway viewof the frame 800 of FIG. 8J taken along lines E1 E1. The two views showthe bottom bar 806 and the left bar 808. A clip 834 may be used withmultiple fasteners 836 to couple the bottom bar 806 to the left bar 808at the corner of the frame 800.

Referring to FIGS. 8L and 8M, an alternative embodiment to FIG. 8E isillustrated. FIG. 8L provides a more detailed view of the frame 800 inthe alternate embodiment. FIG. 8M provides a cutaway view of the frame800 of FIG. 8L taken along lines F1-F1. In this embodiment, rather thanusing a horizontal bar 814, a vertical bar 812 is coupled directly to abeam 840 using a clip 838.

Referring to FIGS. 9A-9C, one embodiment of a coupling mechanism 900 isillustrated that may be used to attach an LED panel (e.g., one of thepanels 104 a-104 t of FIGS. 1A and 1B) to a frame (e.g., the frame 106or the frame 800 of FIGS. 8A and 8B). For purposes of example, thecoupling mechanism 900 is described as attaching the panel 200 of FIG.2A to the frame 800 of FIG. 8B. In the present example, a singlecoupling mechanism 900 may attach up to four panels to the frame 800. Toaccomplish this, the coupling mechanism 900 is positioned where thecorners of four panels meet.

The coupling mechanism 900 includes a front plate 902 and a back plate904. The front plate 902 has an outer surface 906 that faces the back ofa panel and an inner surface 908 that faces the frame 106. The frontplate 902 may include a center hole 910 and holes 912. The center hole910 may be countersunk relative to the outer surface 906 to allow a bolthead to sit at or below the outer surface 906. Mounting pins 914 mayextend from the outer surface 906. The back plate 904 has an outersurface 916 that faces away from the frame 106 and an inner surface 918that faces the frame 106. The back plate 904 includes a center hole 920and holes 922.

In operation, the front plate 902 and back plate 904 are mounted onopposite sides of one of the vertical bars 808, 810, or 812 with thefront plate 902 mounted on the panel side of the frame 800 and the backplate 904 mounted on the back side of the frame 800. For purposes ofexample, a vertical bar 812 will be used. When mounted in this manner,the inner surface 908 of the front plate 902 and the inner surface 918of the back plate 904 face one another. A fastener (e.g., a bolt) may beplaced through the center hole 910 of the front plate 902, through ahole in the vertical bar 812 of the frame 800, and through the centerhole 920 of the back plate 904. This secures the front plate 902 andback plate 904 to the frame 800 with the mounting pins 914 extendingaway from the frame.

Using the housing 300 of FIG. 3A as an example, a panel is aligned onthe frame 800 by inserting the appropriate mounting pin 914 into one ofthe holes in the back of the housing 300 provided by an extension310/312. It is understood that this occurs at each corner of the panel,so that the panel will be aligned with the frame 800 using four mountingpins 914 that correspond to four different coupling mechanisms 900. Itis noted that the pins 914 illustrated in FIG. 9C are horizontallyaligned with the holes 912, while the extensions illustrated in FIG. 3Aare vertically aligned. As described previously, these are alternateembodiments and it is understood that the holes 912/pins 914 andextensions 310/312 should have a matching orientation and spacing.

Once in position, a fastener is inserted through the hole 922 of theback plate 904, through the corresponding hole 912 of the front plate902, and into a threaded hole provided by an extension 310/312 in thepanel 300. This secures the panel to the frame 800. It is understoodthat this occurs at each corner of the panel, so that the panel will besecured to the frame 800 using four different coupling mechanisms 900.Accordingly, to attach or remove a panel, only four fasteners need bemanipulated. The coupling mechanism 900 can remain in place to supportup to three other panels.

More precise alignment may be provided by using an alignment plate, suchas the alignment plate 314 of FIG. 3B, with each panel. For example,while positioning the panel and prior to tightening the couplingmechanism 900, the tabs 316 of the alignment plate 314 for that panelmay be inserted into slots 318 in surrounding alignment plates. Thecoupling mechanism 900 may then be tightened to secure the panel intoplace.

It is understood that many different configurations may be used for thecoupling mechanism 400. For example, the locations of holes and/or pinsmay be moved, more or fewer holes and/or pins may be provided, and othermodifications may be made. It is further understood that many differentcoupling mechanisms may be used to attach an panel to the frame 106.Such coupling mechanisms may use bolts, screws, latches, clips, and/orany other fastener suitable for removably attaching a panel to the frame800.

Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, one embodiment of a 13×22 panel displaywoo is illustrated that includes two hundred and eighty-six panelsarranged in thirteen rows and twenty-two columns. For purposes ofexample, the display woo uses the previously described main panel 400 ofFIG. 4A (a ‘B’ panel) and the slave panel 600 of FIG. 6A (a ‘C’ panel).As described previously, these panels have a bi-directional input/outputconnection point for data communications between the main panel and theslave panels. The rows are divided into two sections with the topsection having seven rows and the bottom section having six rows. The Bpanels form the fourth row of each section and the remaining rows are Cpanels. FIGS. 10C and 10D provide enlarged views of a portion of FIG.10A and 10B, respectively.

As illustrated in FIG. 10A, power (e.g., 220V single phase) is providedto the top section via seven breakers (e.g., twenty amp breakers), witha breaker assigned to each of the seven rows. Power is provided to thebottom section via six breakers, with a breaker assigned to each of thesix rows. In the present example, the power is provided in a serialmanner along a row, with power provided to the first column panel viathe power source, to the second column panel via the first panel, to thethird column panel via the second panel, and so on for the entire row.Accordingly, if a panel is removed or the power for a panel isunplugged, the remainder of the panels in the row will lose power.

As illustrated in FIG. 10B, data is sent from a data source 1002 (e.g.,a computer) to the top section via one line and to the bottom sectionvia another line. In some embodiments, as illustrated, the data linesmay be connected to provide a loop. In the present example, the data isprovided to the B panels that form the fourth row of each section. The Bpanels in the fourth row feed the data both vertically along the columnand in a serial manner along the row. For example, the B panel at rowfour, column two (r4:c2), sends data to the C panels in rows one, two,three, five, six, and seven of column two (r1-3:c2 and r5-7:c2), as wellas to the B panel at row four, column three (r4:c3). Accordingly, if a Bpanel in row four is removed or the data cables are unplugged, theremainder of the panels in the column fed by that panel will lose theirdata connection. The next columns will also lose their data connectionsunless the loop allows data to reach them in the opposite direction.

It is understood that the data lines may be bi-directional. In someembodiments, an input line and an output line may be provided, ratherthan a single bi-directional line as illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B.In such embodiments, the panels may be configured with additional inputand/or output connections. An example of this is provided below in FIGS.11A and 11B.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, one embodiment of a 16×18 panel display1100 is illustrated that includes two hundred and eighty-eight panelsarranged in sixteen rows and eighteen columns. For purposes of example,the display 1100 uses the previously described main panel 500 of FIG. 5(a ‘B’ panel) and the slave panel 700 of FIG. 7 (a ‘C’ panel). Asdescribed previously, these panels have separate input and outpointconnection points for data communications between the main panel and theslave panels. FIGS. 11C and 11D provide enlarged views of a portion ofFIG. 11A and 11B, respectively.

As illustrated in FIG. 11A, power is provided from a power sourcedirectly to the first column panel and the tenth column panel of eachrow via a power line connected to a single 110V, 20 A breaker. Thosepanels then feed the power along the rows in a serial manner. Forexample, the power is provided to the first column panel via the powersource, to the second column panel via the first panel, to the thirdcolumn panel via the second panel, and so on until the ninth columnpanel is reached for that row. The ninth column panel does not feedpower to another panel because power is provided directly to the tenthcolumn panel via the power source. Power is then provided to theeleventh column panel via the tenth panel, to the twelfth column panelvia the eleventh panel, and so on until the end of the row is reached.Accordingly, if a panel is removed or the power for a panel isunplugged, the remainder of the panels in the row that rely on thatpanel for power will lose power.

Although not shown in FIG. 11B, the panels of the display 1100 may bedivided into two sections for data purposes as illustrated previouslywith respect to FIG. 10B. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 10B, datamay be sent from a data source (e.g., a computer) to a top section viaone line and to a bottom section via another line. As the presentexample illustrates the use of separate input and outpoint connectionpoints for data communications between the main panel and the slavepanels, data connections between B panels have been omitted for purposesof clarity.

In the present example, the data is provided to the B panels that formthe fourth row of each section. The B panels in the fourth row feed thedata both vertically along the column and in a serial manner along therow (as shown in FIG. 10B). For example, the B panel at row four, columntwo (r4:c2), sends data to the C panels in rows one, two, three, five,six, seven, and eight of column two (r1-3:c2 and r5-8:c2), as well as tothe B panel at row four, column three (r4:c3). Accordingly, if a B panelin row four is removed or the data cables are unplugged, the remainderof the panels in the column fed by that panel will lose their dataconnection. The next columns will also lose their data connectionsunless the loop allows data to reach them in the opposite direction.

Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, one embodiment of a 19×10 panel two facedisplay 1100 is illustrated that includes three hundred and eightypanels arranged in two displays of nineteen rows and ten columns. Forpurposes of example, the display 1100 uses the previously described mainpanel 500 of FIG. 5 (a ‘B’ panel) and the slave panel 700 of FIG. 7 (a‘C’ panel). As described previously, these panels have separate inputand outpoint connection points for data communications between the mainpanel and the slave panels. FIGS. 12C and 12D provide enlarged views ofa portion of FIGS. 12A and 12B, respectively.

As illustrated in FIG. 12A, power is provided from a power sourcedirectly to the first column panel of each face via a power lineconnected to a single 100V, 20 A breaker. Those panels then feed thepower along the rows in a serial manner. For example, the power isprovided to the first column panel of the first face via the powersource, to the second column panel via the first panel, to the thirdcolumn panel via the second panel, and so on until the last panel isreached for that row of that face. The tenth column panel does not feedpower to the next face because power is provided directly to the firstcolumn of the second face via the power source. Power is then providedto the second column panel via the first panel, to the third columnpanel via the second panel, and so on until the last panel is reachedfor that row of that face. Accordingly, if a panel is removed or thepower for a panel is unplugged, the remainder of the panels in the rowthat rely on that panel for power will lose power.

Although not shown in FIG. 12B, the panels of the display 1200 may bedivided into three sections for data purposes as illustrated previouslywith respect to FIG. 10B. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 10B, datamay be sent from a data source (e.g., a computer) to the top section viaone line, to a middle section via a second line, and to a bottom sectionvia a third line.

As the present example illustrates the use of separate input andoutpoint connection points for data communications between the mainpanel and the slave panels, data connections between B panels have beenomitted for purposes of clarity. However, a separate line may be run tothe B panels in the first column of each face (which would require sixlines in FIG. 12B), or the B panel in the last column of a row of oneface may pass data to the B panel in the first column of a row of thenext face (which would require three lines in FIG. 12B).

In the present example, the data is provided to the B panels that formthe fourth row of each section. The B panels in the fourth row feed thedata both vertically along the column and in a serial manner along therow (as shown in FIG. 10B). For example, the B panel at row four, columntwo (r4:c2), sends data to the C panels in rows one, two, three, five,and six of column two (r1-3:c2 and r5-6:c2), as well as to the B panelat row four, column three (r4:c3). Accordingly, if a B panel in row fouris removed or the data cables are unplugged, the remainder of the panelsin the column fed by that panel will lose their data connection. Thenext columns will also lose their data connections unless the loopallows data to reach them in the opposite direction.

Although the preferred embodiment has been described in detail, itshould be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterationscan be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A display comprising: exactly two hundred and eighty-six panel displays arranged in rows and columns, wherein the panel displays comprise a set of main panels and a set of slave panels, wherein a total number of main panels and slave panels is equal to two hundred and eighty-six, wherein each of the panel displays comprises a bi-directional input/output connection point for data communication between a main panel and a slave panel; wherein the rows are divided into a top section and a bottom section, with the top section having seven rows and the bottom section having six rows, wherein each of the panel displays of a fourth row of the top section and a fourth row of the bottom section are main panels, and each of the panel displays of the other rows in the top section and the bottom section are slave panels; wherein each row in the top section and the bottom section is coupled to a power supply through a corresponding breaker; and wherein the fourth row of the top section and the fourth row of the bottom section are coupled to a data line, wherein each of the main panels in the fourth row of the top section feeds data vertically to slave panels of the top section that are in the same column as a corresponding main panel, and wherein each of the slave panels has a data connection directly to exactly one main panel.
 2. The display of claim 1, wherein each of the main panels in the fourth row, except the last panel in the fourth row, feeds data in a serial manner along the row.
 3. The display of claim 1, wherein the data line is a single bi-directional line.
 4. The display of claim 1, wherein the data line comprises an input data line and an output data line.
 5. The display of claim 1, wherein each of the breakers comprise a 20 Amp breaker.
 6. The display of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises a single phase 220V alternating current.
 7. The display of claim 1, wherein: each of the main panels comprises seven bi-directional input/output connection points; each of the slave panels comprises exactly one bi-directional input/output connection point; and the bi-directional input/output connection point of each of the slave panels is coupled to a data connection with exactly one bi-directional input/output connection point of a main panel.
 8. A display comprising: exactly two hundred and eight-six panel displays arranged in rows and columns, wherein the panel displays comprise a set of main panels and a set of slave panels, wherein a total number of main panels and slave panels is equal to two hundred and eighty-six; wherein each of the panel displays comprises a bi-directional input/output connection point for data communication between a main panel and a slave panel; wherein the rows are divided into a top section and a bottom section, with the top section having seven rows and the bottom section having six rows, wherein each of the panel displays of a fourth row of the top section and a fourth row of the bottom section are main panels, and each of the panel displays of the other rows in the top section and the bottom section are slave panels; wherein the columns are divided into a left section and a right section, wherein a first panel in the left section of each row and a first panel in the right section of each row is directly coupled to a single power supply through a common breaker; wherein power to the panel displays in the same row within the left section and within the right section is provided in a serial manner; and wherein the fourth row of the top section and the fourth row of the bottom section are coupled to a data line, wherein each of the main panels in the fourth row of the top section feeds data vertically to slave panels of the top section that are in the same column as a corresponding main panel, and wherein each of the slave panels has a data connection directly to exactly one main panel.
 9. The display of claim 8, wherein each of the main panels in the fourth row, except the last panel in the fourth row, feeds data in a serial manner along the row.
 10. The display of claim 8, wherein the data line is a single bi-directional line.
 11. The display of claim 8, wherein the data line comprises an input data line and an output data line.
 12. The display of claim 8, wherein the common breaker comprises an 110V/20 Amp breaker.
 13. The display of claim 8, wherein the power supply comprises a single phase 110V alternating current.
 14. The display of claim 8, wherein: each of the main panels comprises seven bi-directional input/output connection points; each of the slave panels comprises exactly one bi-directional input/output connection point; and the bi-directional input/output connection point of each of the slave panels is coupled to a data connection with exactly one bi-directional input/output connection point of a main panel.
 15. A display comprising: exactly three hundred and eighty panel displays arranged in two displays of nineteen rows and ten columns, wherein the panel displays comprise a set of main panels and a set of slave panels, wherein a total number of main panels and slave panels is equal to three hundred and eighty; wherein each of the panel displays comprises a bi-directional input/output connection point for data communications between a main panel and a slave panel; wherein the rows are divided into a top section, a middle section, and a bottom section, with the top section having six rows and the middle section having six rows, and the bottom section having seven rows, wherein each of the panel displays of a fourth row of the top section, a fourth row of the middle section, and a fourth row of the bottom section are main panels, and each of the panel displays of the other rows in the top section, the middle section, and the bottom section are slave panels; wherein the columns are divided into a left section and a right section, wherein a first panel in the left section of each row and a first panel in the right section of each row is directly coupled to a single power supply through a common breaker; wherein power to panel displays in the same row within the left section and within the right section is provided in a serial manner; and wherein the fourth row of the top section, the fourth row of the middle section, and the fourth row of the bottom section are coupled to a data line, wherein each of the main panels in the fourth row of the top section feeds data vertically to slave panels of the top section that are in the same column as a corresponding main panel, and wherein each of the slave panels has a data connection directly to exactly one main panel.
 16. The display of claim 15, wherein each of the main panels in the fourth row, except the last panel in the fourth row, feeds data in a serial manner along the row.
 17. The display of claim 15, wherein the data line is a single bi-directional line.
 18. The display of claim 15, wherein the data line comprises an input data line and an output data line.
 19. The display of claim 15, wherein each of the common breakers comprise a 110V/20 Amp breaker.
 20. The display of claim 15, wherein the power supply comprises a single phase 110V alternating current.
 21. The display of claim 15, wherein: each of the main panels comprises seven bi-directional input/output connection points; each of the slave panels comprises exactly one bi-directional input/output connection point; and the bi-directional input/output connection point of each of the slave panels is coupled to a data connection with exactly one bi-directional input/output connection point of a main panel. 